TheCharactersoftheEmergingbourgeoisierevealedinRobinsonCrusoeAbstract:RobinsonCrusoe,basedonarealfact,successfullycreatesahero,anempirebuilder,andasuperman.TheauthorDefoe,becauseofthisbook,becomesthefatherofEnglishrealisticnovel.PeopleliketotalkaboutRobinsonCrusoe,withhisadventureandeverythinghehaddonewhenhewasfacingtheobstacles.Tosomepeople,Robinsonisahero,agiant,andperfectinallaspects.WhilesomeotherpeoplethinkthatRobinsonistheonewhostrugglesonlyforproperty.Thispaperdealswithhimasanemergingbourgeoisie.Inthisway,allhisbehaviorseemsmorereasonable.Keywords:adventure,property,materialcivilizationRobinsonCrusoeisaclassicadventurenovel.Inthisnovel,thespiritofadventureoftheemergingbourgeoisieishighlypraised.RobinsonCrusoe,bornasanemergingbourgeoisie,refusingtoinheritpropertyfromhisfather,decidestoleavehismiddlestationfamilyandbeginshisnewadventurouslife.Themotiveofhisadventure,ashefirsttellshermother“thatmythoughtsweresoentirelybentuponseeingtheworld”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,5)[1]orassomepeoplebelievesheisdrivenbyhisromanticideas.However,thereareneitheranydescriptionsofhisappreciationofthescenerynoranyentertainingactivities.Actually,inthe18thcentury,theword“adventure”doesnotrefertotheimpulseofromancetoalargeextent,butitreferstoafanaticalpursuitofprofit.[2]SothedesireofRobinson’sadventureclearlyrevealshiswillingnessofgettingmoreprofit.Drivenbythispowerfulforce,heleaveshisfamilyalthoughhisfathergiveshimseriousandcounselagainstwhatheforeseesisRobison’sdesign.Robinsonisnotarealadventurer;heleaveshisfamilyjustbecauseheisnotsatisfiedwiththecurrentsituationofhismiddlestationfamily.Hewasnotwillingtosticktotheolddoctrinesandlivesalifeofleisureandease.Anditisitthatcauseshimtogoouttoseathreetimestodobusiness,evenafterhehasestablishedhisplantationinBrazil.“Thatevilinfluencewhichcarriedmefirstawayfrommyfather’shouse,thathurriedmeintothewildandindigestednotionofraisingmyfortune,andthatimpressedthoseconceitssoforciblyuponmeasmakemedeaftoallgoodadviceandtotheentreatiesandevencommandofmyfather”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,18).Afterthefirstaccident,evenRobinsonisthrilledandfeelsregretfulforawhile,butthis“evilinfluence”stillsupportshimandmakeshimkeepgoingsailing.Thisisonlyfromoneaspect,andinhislaterexperience,wecanseeitmoreclearly.Once,hemeetsacaptainandtreatshimashisgoodfriendbecausefromthecaptainhecanlearnalotand“increasedveryconsiderably”aswellasbecome“bothasailorandamerchant”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,20).Laterinanothervoyage,“Ididnotcarryquite￡100ofmynew-gainedwealth,sothatIhad￡200left,andwhichIlodgedwithmy
friend’swidow,whowasveryjusttome”.Robinson’sprincipleofjudgingpersonistotallydifferentfrommostofthepeople,hisneverchangedprincipleis“pursuingproperty”.Itissuitableforthefriendshipbetweenthecaptainandhimanditgoesthesamewiththerelationshipbetweenhimandanybodyelse.Besides,itishardtofindhisemotionalattachmenttoanybody.Betweenallthelinesofthebook,hetalksalittleabouthisparentsandhisfamilyinthefirstfewpages.Duringthose28yearslivingaloneontheisolatedisland,heneverthinksofhisoldfriendsorhisparents(ifhisseldomthinkingofhisfather’sgoodcounselisnotincludedwhenheisfrustrated).Whathementionsmostishisindividuallifeandhishardworkingontheisland.Hefocusesonhisfightingforabetterlifeandthethingshewantstopossess.WhatimpressesthereadersmostisRobinson’sexperienceontheisland.Forthefirstfewyears,heisallalonethereandlivesamiserablelife.Buthenevergivesuphopeandcomplainsabouthisfate.Instead,hetrieshisbesttostruggleforabetterlivingcondition.Luckily,hegetsenoughnecessitiesincludingfoodandtoolsfromthewreckoftheship.“howwellIwasfurnishedformysubsistenceandwhatwouldhavebeenmycaseifithadnotbeenhappened,whichwasahundredthousandtoone,thattheshipfloatedfromtheplacewhereshefirststruckandwasdrivensoneartotheshorethatIhadtimetogetallthesethingsoutofher”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,78)ThissuggeststhatRobinsondoesnotgetridofthematerialcivilization.Hedoesn’tliveslikeasavage.Withtheaidofthetools,hebuildsuphislivingplaces,plantsenoughfoodforhimself,huntswildanimalsordomesticatesthem,manufacturestoolsandsewingclothes.Afteraseriesofstruggle,everythingonhisislandbecomesingoodorderandallwithinhiscontrol.Aoncedesertedislandbeginstoprosper.EvenRobinsonhimselfcan’timagine,whatwillhislifebelike.Hislifeontheisolatedislandrevealstheshiningcharactersofbourgeoisieinarisingstage.Heisahardworkingman.Robinsonhadshownhismarvelouscapacityforwork,hisboundlessenergyandpersistenceinovercomingobstacles.Hisperseveranceinspendingmonthsmakingacanoe,andinpracticingpotterymakinguntilhegotitright,ispraiseworthy.Additionally,hisresourcefulnessinbuildingashelter,dairy,grapearbor,countryhouse,goatstableisremarkable.Hestruggledhardagainstnatureandmadeitbendtohiswill.Robinsonhassetagoodmodelforus.Anyway,althoughheleftthesociety,hisbehaviorsreflectalotofcharactersofemergingbourgeoisie.Atlast,Robinsonisnonethelessveryinterestedinpossessions,powerandprestige.Aftertheislandwaspeopled,hethinksheis“veryrichinsubjects”,andhethinks“howlikeakingIlooked.Firstofall,thewholecountrywasmyownmereproperty;sothatIhadanundoubtedrightofdominion.Secondly,mypeoplewereperfectlysubjected:Iwasabsolutelordandlawgiver;theyallowedtheirlivestome,andeveryreadytolaydowntheirlives…”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,320)Meanwhile,heiscoldanddetachedwhenitcomestohisfamilyandmarriage.“for
firstofallImarried,andthatnoteithertomydisadvantageordissatisfaction,andhadthreechildren,twosonsandonedaughter.Butmywifedying…”Hestatesallthesefactsinabriefandcoldway,anditmakesagreatcomparisonwithhisdetailedproceduresofmakingtoolsontheisland.Soaconclusioncanbedrawn,itisalwaystruetoRobinsonthatthepowerandpropertyistheperpetualthemeinhislife.Hewillnevergetridofmaterialcivilization.Emotionalattachmentisnotanecessityinhislife.Inaword,RobinsonrepresentsthebourgeoisieintherisingstageinEnglishsociety.Sohisspiritofadventure,ortobemorespecific,thepursuitofproperty,hisperseverancewhenfacedobstacles,andhiscoldattitudetowardrelationshipsbetweenpeopleinevitablyrevealthecharactersoftheEmergingbourgeoisieofthatage.Inthisnovel,DefoesuccessfullygivesusafascinatingglimpseintothecomplicatedmodernsocietyinEnglandofthe18thcentury.References:[1]DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,外语教学与研究出版社，2007.2[2]黄梅，推敲“自我”：小说在十八世纪的英国，生活﹒读书﹒新知三联书店，2003.5
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